Iris
by Carmine of Spring
Summary: In which pasts and secrets cannot hide, because eventually they will all come back. But even the most broken of souls can be mended, and sometimes it takes a little more than just time. AU.
1. Chapter 1

Iris

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**Disclaimer: All credits go to their respective owners, I do not own Soul Eater in any way, shape, form, or fashion.**

**I rewatched Howl's Moving Castle for the umpteenth time, and for some reason my brain lit up. A sudden urge came to me to write this, so you'll find that this will have similarities to it. It's about the same time frame as the movie.**

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_An iris stands for faith, hope, courage, and above all, passion_

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_-.-.-.-_

_The evil demons are leaving their den_

_Be a good girl and stay home after ten_

_-.-.-.-_

"I'm going to learn all of these by tonight!"

The young woman smiled lightly at the child before her who eagerly gathered all the books into her arms. They were all books of spells, magic, and past wizards. Many young children like her aspire to be a wizard, even though the chances were almost slim to none. The books proving to be too heavy for the girl to carry, she offered to help the girl bring them home, since she lived not too far away. Yuna beamed at her offer, yelling "Thanks a bunch! My mom will surely yell at me if I don't return home soon, it's almost ten."

Just as Yuna said, the city's clock tower rang the first signal of the day. Or night. It was always night time here in Death City, although no one really knows as to why. Some said that it was because outside was full of evil, while others thought that sunlight was evil. In this city though, the clock tower would ring three times a day, every day. The first would ring half an hour to ten, the next ten minutes to ten, and the third ten exactly. Each chime would be louder than the one before, the third chime being the loudest. The older female bent down to the girl's height before scooping a majority of the books. "I guess we should move along, especially if you want to learn these 'by tonight' as you say."

Stepping onto the cobblestone street, she helped the girl down the stairs while her other arm held the books to her waist. Sometimes on these old streets a few stones would be especially lifted and unsmooth, making it difficult for the young or the elderly to walk quickly on. Holding onto her much smaller hand, she smiled at the child. "Shall we go?" The child answered her by dragging her to the direction of her house.

"Miss Albarn, are you scared of the monsters after ten? My mom told me that they will eat your soul out! But my sister is learning to be a powerful weapon, and I want to be like her! One day I'll be strong and beat up those monsters that come out! Maybe I'll even become a death scythe!" Maka laughed lightly, "I've never seen said monsters, since I'm a good girl who usually stays home after ten. You shouldn't worry too much though, since Shinigami-sama and his death scythes are doing their job properly. Although…" Maka trailed off, leaving Yuna to look up at her quizzically. The blonde shook her head though, not wanting to worry her too much.

Lately bodies have been missing. The newspaper had been listing names of bodies found for the past month or so, all who stayed out to after ten. Some brave meisters and weapons have banded together, saying that they shouldn't let Shinigami-sama and his death scythes do all the work and that as civilians, they have responsibilities too. Most have died in the process, the monsters proving to be too strong for normal civilians to handle. It was a mystery as to why these creatures appear, but they targeted wandering civilians. On numerous occasions Maka herself wanted to join, but unknown danger really didn't appeal to her. It was a pain to know that her neighbors and acquaintances slowly disappeared without knowing how or why. Her quiet pondering was suddenly interrupted by an unwelcome voice. "Hello, Maka. Looking for me?"

Maka's nose scrunched up in disgust. She'd recognize the confident teasing tone anywhere. The tall blonde sauntered over, noticing her obvious look of dislike. "Is that any way to greet your boyfriend? I think the proper method is to jump into my arms."

"That's self-proclaimed. Now if you don't mind, I have a little girl to escort. I'm sure your most recent toy is just around the corner. Just remember to get a room though." Andrew Harford was a foreigner who had a habit of flirting with young women, and the best way Maka can describe him to older men was… to lock their doors and hide their daughters. The only thing she can admire about him was his cash, because he came to her shop every day, purchasing the most expensive book she has in stock. Walking away, she saw a smirk plastered across his face. _Smug bastard…_

"I don't like him, Miss Albarn. He came over to my house last time trying to get some of my mom's plants. My mom shooed him away when she saw him! Oh, do you think you'll come over and babysit me again?" Yuna almost begged, but Maka shook her head lightly. "I'm a pretty busy person, but you can visit me by my shop anytime you like, okay?" This disheartened her at first, but just as quickly she grinned and nodded. As she turned a corner, Yuna's mother came into view as if expecting her and her daughter. Yuna's mother was a florist, but she grew some exotic plants that can be churned into medicine or just plants that she found interesting. Maka sometimes asked for some of it, and she never gave them less-than-willingly since she babysat for Yuna too many times to count free of charge.

"Oh, Maka! I knew she went to your bookstore again, I hope she didn't cause you any trouble," the woman said, only for her daughter to shake her head, claiming she was being obedient.

"She's wonderful, don't worry. I have a favor though, Mrs. Hanson, can I have a few of those Moondrop leaves?"

"Of course, dear."

A loud chime rang through the city, signaling that it's ten minutes to ten. Mrs. Hanson walked over to her and gave her a tiny pouch filled with what she needed. "Thank you so much. Well, goodbye Yuna, I'll see you next time, okay? I'll expect you to have _everything_ in the books memorized! If you don't I won't make any skull apples for you!" The little girl nodded and ran to her chuckling mother, who hurriedly finished watering her plants. Ten was approaching, and any adult in their right mind nowadays would stay inside. Lock their doors, slide the curtains, tape the windows; whatever it may be to give themselves and their family any extra peace of mind.

Maka swiftly turned around and headed back to the shop. By the time she made it back it would be ten, but if she hurried and closed the shop not too long after the third chime, she should be fine. Her workers usually closed the shop if she didn't come back by five minutes after ten, so no accidents have occurred yet. She came face to face with Andrew, who still had the same smirk as he did earlier. He really enjoyed hanging around her, like she would give him a half a day and a night like half the females her age would. Narrowing his eyes at her, he leaned down towards her ear. "You smell… amazing. So amazing that I can eat you live." _That's not even legal Harford, that's a trip to prison._

"If you'll allow a lady to go about her way," she said, side stepping only for him to follow suit. She didn't give him any satisfaction by giving him a look of annoyance. Fighting to maintain a poker face, she waited for him to walk away.

"If you're not a good girl tonight, I'll devour you whole."

"Like I'll let you, Harford." He chuckled at her response, and shook his head. "We'll see." With that, he walked past her shoulder, walking to Death knows where. Maka bored her eyes into his back, while thinking what in Death's name his problem was. Or even why half the town thought he was a charming young man. If she could, she would haul him into the desert and let him die there from thirst. Well, maybe. She didn't want him dead, but he really liked to press her buttons.

Before she can conjure all possibilities as to why he liked to annoy her besides for his amusement, the clock chimed for the third time. Maka swiveled towards the direction of the clock, cursing the clock and Harford for him and his inconvenient timings. With a hand on her hat to secure it, the ash-blonde woman ran back.

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As she came to a stop, Jay Street came into full view. Her olive green eyes widened at the sight. The whole block was on fire, but there was no one out to put out the fire on the whole chain of stores. Maka ran around trying to look for anyone to help, but there was no one. While she frantically searched, she tripped on the cobblestone road, and if it weren't for her less-than-graceful save, she would've went headfirst into a fire hydrant. _Wait…_

Looking at her surroundings to make sure that no one was looking, Maka focused her attention to the hydrant in front. She lifted the ends of her grey dress, and with all the strength she can muster, she kicked open the fire hydrant. Like she hoped, a roaring source of water poured out. Smoothing her dress back to its neat pleats, she looked at the stores. Raising her hands at the water's direction, a gentle orange glow surrounded her hands. The water too followed, soon enveloped in the amber glow. With a gentle flick of her wrist, a wave of water surged towards her bookstore, engulfing the fire into sizzling black smoke. Repeating the task to some of the surrounding stores until she found it safe, Maka ran into her store, trying to save what little she can. Running in, she found two females by the register, cowering underneath the table. "You two, get out!"

The two looked up, finding their manager in front of them, who to them had miraculously made it through the fire. "Miss Albarn! How-"

"Just go, before the path closes up," Maka said. Without having to be told a third time, the two ran out, silently hoping that she'll be fine in there. Making sure the two were safely out, she grabbed a ladder and climbed to the top of a bookshelf. On top of it, she found the wooden chest she was looking for, and brought it down with her. Making sure that everything that's inside is there, Maka was about to run out until she heard a deep voice. "I thought I told you to be a good girl."

Turning her head to the door that heads further back of the store, she saw an all too familiar face. From the _back_ of the store. "Harford, what in Death's name are you doing here?"

"For the same reason you're here. I'd hate to harm a pretty face like you, but I'll have to resort to measures if you don't give it to me obediently," the blonde said, confident that she'd toss it to him in fear. Instead, she only clutched the chest closer to her, screaming, "I don't know who the hell you are or how you got in here, but you're not taking anything."

"Is that so? Well…"

Slowly, Andrew drew a circle around Maka. Just as drawn, a circle of flames surrounded her, threatening to burn her to her bones. He approached her, his amber eyes blazing just as strong as the flames around her. By now, she saw that the path she had cleared by levitating the hydrant water had returned to being blocked by the flames. _So much for trying to run out again…_

"Why do you want this chest so badly and why do you know that I have whatever is in here?" Maka said, without wavering. Andrew halted his advances, and said, "I'm sure you and I know what's in there."

Maka stared down at the floor, not saying anything. He continued, "Three years ago, a wizard who hid its face and identity to the whole world was feared, only known to always wear a black cloak. The wizard killed any powerful witch on the wanted list that gave large sums of money, some even say that he or she, many believing it was a he, single handedly took down an army of a hundred. He was originally a meister, until one night he found out that he can use magic. So he soon pursued the arts of magic alone, since even now there are only a handful of wizards; only one or two are born to be able to use magic every century or so. He worked directly for the Shinigami, and eventually there was a period of peace since the wizard killed any witch and demon alive. But one night, the wizard's weapon had been brutally murdered. Some say that he was too sad to continue his job, because he hid everything in a chest."

"So what?" Maka whispered. She disliked the man, so even though she asked for the reasoning of his intentions, she didn't want to hear a long speech.

"Inside that chest is his equipment! His cloaks that were said to be made with the hides of a dragon! Jewelry that emitted power wherever it went; anyone who can lay their hands on such powerful objects will become powerful themselves! Spell books that were self-written and recorded by him are in there! There's millions of spells in there, think of all the power one can receive if they ever find it!" He cackled, laughing in such a manner that he shouldn't even be considered humane. The only thing that interrupted his euphoric moment was when half the ceiling came down, showing that it wouldn't hold itself up much longer against the flames.

"Well, Maka dear, now that you know my goal is to achieve power, why don't you hand it over?"

Maka narrowed her eyes at him. She clenched the box close to her and yelled, "Not only do I especially not want to hand anything over to a power-crazed maniac like you, but also that whatever is in here is mine and mine alone!"

Andrew shook his head at her outburst, "I was hoping that I didn't have to kill you, but I guess I'll have to." Closing the gap between him and her, he raised his flame-coated hand, ready to strike. She was defenseless being surrounded by flames that would certainly scorch and burn her to the core. Clenching her eyes shut, Maka hoped that he would get it over with quickly and painlessly.

But it never came. She heard a loud thump, and a gentle voice asked, "Are you okay, miss?"

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I'm new to the Soul Eater fandom, so I haven't read any fanfics yet. If anyone has any to recommend, please do so!


	2. Chapter 2

******Disclaimer: All credits go to their respective owners, I do not own Soul Eater in any way, shape, form, or fashion.**

**This may or may not go well, but I'm taking advantage of summer vacation to do this! Some people had PM me asking whether the person was Soul, and unfortunately, it's not! I have a fond spot for Tsubaki.**

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_An iris stands for faith, hope, courage, and above all, passion_

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"Are you okay, miss?"

Maka opened her eyes, expecting to be screaming in pain, dead, or at the very least dead. Not only was she alive and well, but there was a person in front of her. Behind the woman was Andrew, who lay limp on the wooden floor. He must've been knocked unconscious, because the flames that surrounded her began to die down, along with the ones that had set the whole street on fire. As she stood up, she observed the woman in front of her. She looked a little older than her, somewhere around mid-twenties. Her most noticeable trait is her high ponytail, wearing clothing like an assassin. The woman tilted her at slightly to the side, causing Maka to realize that she had been staring for a tad too long.

"My apologies! I'm Albarn, Maka Albarn. Owner of this… bookstore, although it doesn't seem to be in the best of conditions to be open for business," she said, surveying the store she's in. It truly was a sight to find her usually inviting store turn into a scorched, black, smoke-radiating place.

"Nakatsukasa, Tsubaki Nakatsukasa. It's dangerous to be out after ten, don't you know?" the woman said, turning around. She was about to leave until she heard a silent thump behind her.

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Consciousness swept through her as moonlight seeped through the fern-dyed curtains, blurring her morning-hazed vision into waves of green and yellow, swirling and dancing as if they weren't two distinct colors after all. Not quite ready to be up and productive, the blonde shut her eyes back into the depths of black in hopes of catching some more of the sweet, short lasting numbing of the mind, only to find her efforts futile. Groaning at her defeat, she sat up and looked around the room. _When did I ever have green curtains…?_

"Uwahh! She's awake!"

Maka turned her head to the voice, finding a female looking a little younger than her. Sporting short blonde hair and a cowboy hat, she found herself wide awake thanks to the other female's voice. The female rushed out of the room, giving Maka a little bit of peace and quiet. Sitting up, she looked around, confirming that wherever she's at, it definitely wasn't her room. If she didn't feel so lightheaded already, she might have opted to grab a book and smack herself awake. Deciding for the better option, beside the fact that the fresh smell of bacon coming from outside the room is especially enticing, Maka stepped out of the room. _I'll have to thank whoever it was who so kindly took care of me. _

In the kitchen was the same ponytailed woman that Maka briefly met last night. As if sensing her, she turned around. "Ah, you're awake! I have breakfast ready, sit down and make yourself home!"

"Oh…sure."

Despite the place not being her home, Maka liked it very much. It was neat and tidy, and beautifully decorated. The shelves of books tempted her, but she had a gut feeling that the things in this house weren't meant to be moved. While openly admiring the house, Tsubaki had placed food on the table, amused by her reaction. "You like the house?"

The blonde snapped out of her silent appreciation of her surroundings and sheepishly grinned, "It's beautiful."

"I'm sure the person who decorated it would love to hear that," Tsubaki said with a light giggle. "Just don't move anything, or you'll be sorry. Anyways, breakfast is ready!" The raven-haired woman yelled the last part, and immediately, Maka felt the ceiling shake. If the ceiling didn't look so stable and the woman in front of her didn't look so calm, she would have thought that the house would collapse. As if the shaking of the whole house wasn't enough, the source of the shaking jumped down from the stairs and performed a somersault for good measure.

"Tsubaki! Let's head out and get the wrapped mummy this time! Maybe he- woah! Who is this lady and why is she not bowing to my greatness? No person shall enter this house without- oww!" Tsubaki grabbed a chair and slid it under the blue-haired man's legs, effectively seating him onto the chair and positioning him in front of a plate of food. "_First_, we can't hunt anything down if you walk out with an empty stomach. And second, introductions will come shortly after Kidd and Liz wake up. Patti should have them down here in no time." Like a mother berating a child the blue-haired man nodded, indicating that she was absolutely right, and dug into his food. On cue, Maka recognized the same short-haired girl from earlier carrying a man on her back while a much taller blonde sluggishly followed. "Morning!"

"Good morning Patti, what happened to him?" Tsubaki took the passed out man from her back and seated him onto a chair, while Patti shoved a biscuit into her mouth. Speaking in between chewing her food, she said, "He woke up yelling something like the sun came up two centimeters from the center of the window or something. Jumped up and stared at the window before passing out. He didn't get up after I jumped on the bed twice, so I carried him down!"

Maka paled at the sight before her, clearly not used to having such a loud commotion so early in the morning. Turning her head to the only sane person besides the tall blonde who is currently still groggy, she silently asked for help. Giving an apologetic smile, Tsubaki stood up and clapped. "Okay, everyone. This is Maka Albarn here, and she'll be living with us from now on! Give her a warm welcoming."

Everyone, including the man who "passed out due to the two centimeter shift of the sun", suddenly focused their attention on her. Maka stared back at them, blinking. No one said anything. She blinked again.

Silence.

As the rule always goes, third time's the charm. Blinking again, what Tsubaki said final sunk into her. Silently, she stood up and took the glass of water on the table. Unceremoniously, she closed her eyes and splashed the cold water onto her face, hoping the cool feeling would bring her back to reality. Opening her eyelids expecting to be back in her sweet cozy home, she met five pairs of eyes. As if her fuse suddenly ran short, she released her pent up confusion not at the group before her but at the ceiling. "What in hell's name is going on?!"

Nothing happened for a second or so, as if everyone suddenly forgot how to breathe. Then, the blue-haired man across from her at the table suddenly stood up and jumped across the table. Wrapping an arm across her shoulders, he tackled her to the floor, laughing. "You pass! I like you, whoever you are! I approve of you, welcome to the family!"

As if his voice was the signal for everyone to snap out of their trance, everyone but Tsubaki and the black-haired man stood up and joined in for a group hug on the floor. To Maka in her current situation, uncomfortable was an understatement. Rough hair rubbed against her face, and she was going to pass out from lack of oxygen at any second if the three heavy bodies continued to crush her. "Someone tell me what in the world is going oooooooooon!"

* * *

_This is much better._

Tsubaki managed to wring everything back into order with her gentle voice, and miraculously, the blonde librarian did not die from hypoxia. With everyone back into their proper seats, Tsubaki pulled out a full length mirror from another room as Maka had kindly demanded. The latter said person walked over to the mirror and angrily rubbed forty-two, forty-two, and five six four onto the surface. As if expecting her, a black figure with a skull mask faced her with a cup of green tea. Waving his ridiculously large hand at her, he asked, "Ah, Maka! How are you, beautiful day isn't-"

"Shut the hell up old man and tell me what's happening!" The librarian usually showed much more respect to the Shinigami, but clearly today she wasn't in the mood. Rubbing the back of his head sheepishly, he said, "Oh, nothing! I thought you may need a little bit of company and something to do, so you'll be under their protection for a time being! I need a little help from you in handling err… current events too! And I need you to help a little someone!"

"What do you mean protection?! And handle that stuff yourself; I have a bookstore to run!" Maka glared at the blob of black mass in front of the mirror. If it weren't just a mirror but the Shinigami himself in front of her, she would've strangled him. Shinigami or not, her patience had limits. She stopped fuming at the mirror when the Shinigami stared at her, and although he had no distinctive features to indicate so, with a serious expression. "Don't you think it's about time you came back?"

She looked down at the wooden floorboards, about to enter deep in thought until the black blob before her jumped up. "Ah, green tea time is over! Oolong tea time is waiting for me, so I'll talk to you later! Bye everyone!" With that, the mirror returned back into a regular mirror, with Maka standing face to face with herself. As if her anger tank had been used up for the day, she sighed and turned around deciding that it was best to be calm. _Well… seems like I'm here to stay._

"Hello everyone, I'm Maka Albarn as you have all figured out. I graduated as a three star meister, and please do take care of me. I will be here to aid you with any task or operation there is to complete, so don't hesitate to request for my assistance."

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_Well, well; so much for my peaceful and quiet life. _Tsubaki showed Maka her new room, which surprisingly already looked clean and ready to be slept in. After neatly stacking her stacks of books, Tsubaki had kindly brought her pet back from her own home.

"I found this tiny cat in your house while bringing your books that you asked for, so I decided to bring it along. Is this cat your pet?" Maka grinned, and took the 'cat' from her hands. "Yeah, this is Kyra. She's my pet, but…" Upon contact, Kyra became enveloped by a light orange sphere. After breaking out of the sphere, Kyra turned into a full-grown lion with her large white wings folded. Though she was female, she had the appearance of a male lion. There was a slight ruffle in between her wings, and a black cat with a witch hat popped out. "Blair!" The cat nodded happily upon her name, and then resumed to sleeping in her lion friend's wings. The weapon woman probably has a soft spot for animals, because she began to stroke Kyra's fur, which the latter purred at. People usually avoided her since she was so large. Maka turned her attention to the wooden box, and pulled out a thick, worn-out book. The red hardcover front didn't have a title, but Tsubaki recognized it as a spell book. Spell books emitted an aura that differentiated them from normal books. "That's a pretty old book, where'd you get it?" The weapon woman certainly couldn't cast spells, but they fascinated her to no ends. Maka stayed silent for a bit, and then answered. "It's just a book that a local merchant sold. The cover was pretty, so I bought it. Sometimes after a person besides me touches it, a line or two would appear on an empty page. Although, it usually applies to someone who is in need of something, so if you're currently satisfied with your life nothing will show." As if wanting to confirm what the blonde said, Tsubaki touched the cover, and indeed no words came up. Although she was slightly disappointed, her face lightened up a bit. "I should show this to him, he might be interested in an old spell book."

"He? You mean Kid?" Maka couldn't imagine the blue-haired 'assassin' being interested in such things. "No, not Kid; you haven't met him yet. He's the last member of our household, and although we all work for the Shinigami, he's the only death scythe among us. He's probably in the master library right-"

"You have a library here?!" Tsubaki laughed nervously at the librarian's excitement, obviously wanting to see the place. "Yeah, want to check it out?" Maka gave a nod and ran towards the door, only halting in her tracks remembering that she didn't know where it was. She turned around to Tsubaki, until she saw her observing her books. The raven-haired woman whispered to herself, "If I remember correctly, it should be… this book." Sliding a book that was already there before Maka filled the shelves, the bookshelf turned into a door. Opening it, she glanced at Maka with a smile. "Shall we go?"

* * *

Maka didn't know what kind of library needed to be so _deep_ into the ground, because after entering through the door she found herself walking down a spiral staircase that seemed to go on forever. Not to mention that it was a long way day, it was also extremely cold. Thankfully there weren't any cobwebs or leaks like books usually described, but it was a task itself just to get to the library. Kyra frowned at the extensive amount of walking; normally she would've just flown down if the stairs weren't so cramped. Maka must've made an impatient look, because Tsubaki said, "Reason why it's so deep is because it holds a lot of top-secret books. Since we work directly for the Shinigami, we have open access to it, and that includes you. Some daring people might try to steal them if they were less heavily secured." Maka saw slits above her occasionally, which she assumed dropped blockages in case an intruder ever tried to enter. Finally, they came to a door, to which she eagerly opened. Compared to the dim cramped stairs, the sight that greeted her was extremely lavish. The place was extremely high ceilinged, and there were… windows? Tsubaki, if anything, was extremely amused by her. In a time span of a few hours, she had seen the librarian disappointed, excited, aggravated, and now confused. "We're underneath Death City right now. From the outside, those windows are disguised as sewers, but rest assured nothing will fall in from them. Shall we ever need to leave this place, the emergency exit is the third window to the left of the chandelier," she said, pointing to the said window. "That's a fake window. It travels up through the clock tower, so you'll be standing at the highest point in the city. I hope you have some means of traveling in mid-air."

Maka didn't really like the idea of ever having to leave the place due to some form of danger, but answered, "Duly noted." Tsubaki shifted her attention to a sudden sound, and said, "Seems like he is down here after all. Follow me this way, Maka." Guiding her through the third row of shelves, she glanced all around her. There were books of all sizes and colors, some she recognized and some she had never even heard of. Her hands tingled, ready to grab a handle of the books and start flipping through them. As they walked, the sound she heard earlier became clearer and louder. Caught up in her appreciation of the books, she bumped into Tsubaki. Mumbling an apology, she stood on the tip of her toes and peered over the tall woman's shoulders.

Before them was a grand piano, though she couldn't make out the person playing. Tsubaki walked over to a wine-colored sofa and sat down. Maka followed her, not exactly wanting to stand by herself. As she sat down, she noticed that she was able to see the person better. A man sat on the bench before the instrument, who had the whitest hair she had ever seen. His hair was flat at the top, but the ends flew to all sorts of directions. Though it sounded messy, his hair didn't exactly look disheveled. His facial features were hidden by a mask that hid the upper portion of his face. Despite the September weather and being indoors, he had on a black knee length coat over a maroon-colored button down shirt. His black cargo pants and plain calf length boots coupled with the top half yelled simplicity to her, save for the buckles on the boots. He didn't look up nor stop playing to acknowledge their presence, but she supposes that they were the rude ones to just intrude and observe. After he finished the piece he played, Tsubaki clapped lightly. "I see you stopped playing that other piece. Gave up trying to find its name?"

The man glanced over to their direction, and sighed. He walked over to the sofa, and now that he stood up above them, Maka would say that he was about an inch or two below six feet. "Who's this girl, Tsubaki?"

"She's Maka Albarn, Shinigami-sama placed her under our protection while she will also aid us in our mission." He turned his attention to Maka, but the book in her hands caught his attention. Extending his hand, he asked "What's that in your hand?"

She handed the book to him, "Tsubaki said that you might be interested in it."

"I am very; it's my first time seeing a book with words showing up on their own."

"Yeah, it-wait, there's words?" Maka stood up. He brought the book down and showed her. Just as he said, two lines of words rolled out onto a once empty page. Tsubaki joined in too, and asked, "You know what spell that is?"

As Maka took the book from him she asked, "Are you an expert on spells? Not many people understand spells." The man stared at her, and blinked. Realization hit and he took a step back. Straightening up, he said, "Introductions, introductions. Goodness."

"Miss Maka Albarn, welcome to our humble home. Under orders of the Shinigami, you are to live with us until said otherwise." Bringing a hand to his mouth, he cleared his throat. Placing his hand on his mask, he gently brought it down, while at the same time bowing. "I am Soul Eater Evans, wizard and death scythe of the household. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

After saying the last part he looked up. With his mask removed, Maka could clearly see his face, and the first thing that caught her attention was his eyes. His eyes were _red._

* * *

**Well, Soul looks a little different than the manga, but that's because he's much older. He's here! Anyways, until next time~**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: ********All credits go to their respective owners, I do not own Soul Eater in any way, shape, form, or fashion.**

**Some people have pointed out a few mistakes, so I sincerely apologize about them, I'll try my best to avoid them next time. I guess this is what I get for writing at two in the morning, but regardless, don't hesitate to point out my mistakes.**

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___An iris stands for faith, hope, courage, and above all, passion_

* * *

"_I am Soul Eater Evans, wizard and death scythe of the household. Pleased to make your acquaintance."_

Soul looked up and snickered. "How did I sound, cool?"

Maka's eyebrow twitched and trying her best to laugh, she answered, "Yes, _very._" As imperious of a vibe the man gave off, he certainly didn't sound very impressive to her. He chuckled at her response and stood up straight, rolling his shoulders to ease the tension in them. "But the old man assigned you to us? You must be impressive."

The librarian usually tried to give off her best impression when meeting new people, but so far today, she hasn't managed to genuinely laugh yet. Waving her hand, she said, "Not all too impressive, but as much as I want to scurry back home, it doesn't seem like I have much of an option…" Slumping her shoulders and head down in defeat, she sighed, silently kissing her peaceful life goodbye. She felt a gentle hand touch her shoulder, and looking up, she saw Tsubaki smile again for the hundredth time so far. Poor woman hadn't done anything today except for trying to console her! "I'll go on ahead and get everyone down here while I prepare lunch." With that, Tsubaki left the library, her quiet steps measuring Maka's despair. The young lady sat back down, bringing her eyes to her book. Quietly thinking to herself what the spell could be, she thought back to her past experiences. Yuna's mother one time wanted an exotic plant, so when she completed the mysterious spell shown, a plant in the shape of a jug appeared. It smelled so bad that it took three whole days for the scent to go away. _Maybe it's a spell for black hair_.

A loud crash broke her out of her musings though, and, jerking her head up, she realized that it was just Black Star. Behind him on the floor were splinters of wood, pieces of the once solid door. Kid, Liz, and Patty followed behind him much more gracefully, without breaking a single thing. Joining her on the couch while the other two walked around, the almost-symmetrical man placed a folder on top of the glass table, frustration eminent. Leaning his forearms on his knees, he muttered, "Miss-"

"Maka's fine."

"Okay, Maka. I know Father has personally chosen you, so there is no reason for us not to trust you. But for a bizarre and hopeless case like this, it takes a lot more than duty to help us, so if there is anything that you want let me know and I will discuss it with you. Anyways, father requested for me to show you all the data we have collected for the past month or so, and here they are. To be completely honest with you, our situation doesn't seem very good. Before we make any plans, let me fill you in a bit." Kid cleared his throat, trying to gather his words. "They're not…Kishin eggs, these creatures that appear nightly. We have killed hundreds of them, but not a single one left their soul behind. We've concluded that it may be someone with a personal grudge against someone in the city and not someone aiming to become a demon god."

"Well, that doesn't tell me much." Maka frowned; her work has already been cut out for her. Not that she expected any less anyways, the nonsensical reaper never made her life easy. Sighing, she said, "You guys should follow your regular routine tonight, and I'll see what I can do." She stood up, ready to prepare for the night until Kid spoke. "Maka, it's not that I don't believe you can't handle yourself, but what abilities do you have to protect yourself? Your student file at school doesn't say that you have any other abilities besides handling a weapon. They can attack even if you're in mid-air."

The lady turned around, facing him. "You're a curious one, shinigami. Hasn't anyone ever taught you to not snoop around a lady's business? If you think I have an ulterior motive, I certainly do not; I don't mind helping an old friend out." Kid raised an eyebrow at this, clearly skeptical. "If you're so adamant about it though, I want you to help me complete this spell I have here. It can be as easy as collecting ingredients and then brewing it all in a regular kitchen pot or as difficult as requiring a wizard to complete, but I suppose this sort of payment will suffice?" The young shinigami nodded, satisfied to a degree. Maka chuckled, and gave him her most haughty smile. "As for what I can do, that's for me to know and for you to find out."

_-.-.-.-_

Although she said that, the blonde found herself stuck with a certain wizard. The young shinigami said that 'just in case anything unexpected happens, I'll partner you up with someone'. She snorted at that comment, because she technically wasn't even alone. Maka sat astride on top Kyra, floating in mid-air to survey the scene from up top. She switched her grey dress for a tank top and white cargo pants with a dark green trench coat over it. Abandoning her normal braids for a bun, she officially looked part of the group. Soul sat behind her, slouching in boredom. He isn't heavy for his height, but the extra weight makes it difficult for Kyra. "Can't you just summon wings and fly? My lion has her limits." Though the wizard was supposed to guard her, her lion did the job just fine. Occasionally the beast would flap its wings, blowing anything that came at it back.

"That would take up too much of my energy." Maka raised her eyebrows, unsure whether it indeed would, or he was just lazy. Growing wings usually didn't drain a lot of strength out of a wizard, unless the wizard is either extremely frail or new and unskilled.

"What about helping out the others down there? You're a death scythe, you're powerful." Soul snorted, "Pretty boy says that it's best to go down there with a partner."

"So where's your partner?"

"I don't have one."

"Why?" The blonde questioned him while looking at the city beneath her, trying to see for anything out of the ordinary but couldn't with her normal eyesight. Sparing a glance at the man behind her, she focused on her eyes. Slowly, hoping he wouldn't notice, her vision sharpened. Leaning down, Maka turned her attention to where there were more of these creatures. Noting a few areas, she turned around and said, "Tell Tsubaki and Black Star to move to Borich Street and bring that one by the lamppost alive. After Liz and Patty are finished with their spot, tell them to observe the ones around that local pharmacy."

He obeyed, fluttering his eyes shut in concentration. She hadn't noticed earlier since his back was turned to her, but for a man, Soul had fairly long eyelashes. Indoors his eyes were a deep red, but under the moonlight it glistened like a garnet would. Though Maka rarely paid attention to men, she had to say he would be pretty good-looking and attractive if it weren't for his complexion. He looked like his strength had been sapped away, leaving just enough of a trickle to keep him conscious. _Maybe a little color will do better…_

He opened his eyes and asked, "You know Stein?" His gaze was fixated on the clock tower.

Maka frowned at the name, recalling the multiple times he tried to dissect her open for his personal amusement. "Yeah, I do. Why?"

"He's the only one so far who can wield me."

She raised an eyebrow at this, skeptical of such a statement. "What about Tsubaki? She's compatible with a lot of people if she can handle a sporadic meister."

Soul pointed a finger below at Tsubaki, "Look at her soul, and then mine." She was about to retort to his command, until he intercepted. "And don't tell me you can't, because I felt you do it earlier."

_Busted_. Focusing on the black-haired assassin, she felt for the kind and accepting aura. She sensed a soft yet steady flow to her soul, which completely mirrors Tsubaki's personality. Redirecting her focus to the white haired wizard, Maka knitted her eyebrows together at the complete blackness. She couldn't see anything, but the absolute darkness seemed as if it tried to suck her in. Clenching her eyes shut to better her concentration, she eventually saw a faint light blue soul. It was extremely small and hard to see, but the pulse it emitted was powerful, steady but _fast_. Just a glimpse of it indicated it was a strong soul, if anyone could see it at all.

"See it? If Tsubaki tried to wield me, my wavelength would kill her," he said. Maka frowned in thought, agreeing silently that indeed it would. _He's tough to wield but it's not impossible. _"Why's your soul so small anyways? If it really was that small, then your soul shouldn't be radiating such an impossibly strong power."

He didn't respond at first, seeming as if he was too absorbed with observing the tower to hear her. Finding the right words, he began, "If one wants power, he or she must be able to handle it. The human that tried to take my soul failed; it proved to be too much for her. I guess she must have done something to it though, because my soul split into pieces and flew off." His slender fingers drew circles on Kyra's fur, a subconscious act that he didn't seem to be aware of. The beast beneath him purred lightly at the comforting touch, causing the blonde to sometimes wonder if it really was indeed a lion and not a cat. "It's probably still somewhere in this world, I have a gut feeling about it. There's still some power here," he said, pointing to the area on his chest where the soul should be. "But at a relatively low level, plus it doesn't last very long. Even something as trivial as flying will exhaust me."

She gave him a sympathetic look. Choosing to abandon power was one thing, but to have it forcibly ripped was another. She leaned down, pressing herself in a lying position. Snuggling her face into the warmth of her lion's mane, she yawned. It was close to midnight, and normally, she'd be asleep by was about to close her eyes for a quick nap until an ear-piercing scream echoed throughout the city. The raw unpleasant sound caused her to bolt upright, and frantically she looked around beneath her, the familiarity of the voice gave her the chills. _Yuna._

She found the familiar single story house, and not too far from it was Yuna. In her sleeping garments, she was climbing up a lamppost, trying to escape the arms of the creatures who probably wanted nothing more than to sink their teeth into some human flesh. With her enhanced vision, Maka saw the girl's arms shake; her two thin arms wouldn't be able to support her own weight for much longer. Tsubaki and the others wouldn't make it in time even if they ran. The only option would require a stroke of luck. Lowering her head while tugging lightly on Kyra's fur, she said, "Hang on tight, Mr. Scythe. We're going for a dive."

The lion took the signal, and pulled her wings behind her. Jerking backwards, Kyra pushed forward at Yuna's direction, trading her control in flight for speed. While Maka fared well since she hung low, the man behind her didn't do as well, he was practically on the verge of falling off. As they came close, Yuna screamed again as she gave in, her body within Maka's reach. Throwing her arms at the child, Maka managed to grab a hold of the tiny body, cutting her scream short. But as she sat up, the force of the air due to Kyra's dive hit her square on, pushing the blonde off the animal. Bringing Yuna closer to her, Maka turned around and cursed silently. She felt a small hand clench onto her coat, holding it for all her dear life was worth. Doing her best to smile, she tried to sound reassuring. "We'll be fine, Yuna." Maybe in fairytales miracles happen, but nothing at the moment will save her back from receiving a rough blow except for a handsome prince charming that always seems to show up at the right time. Wrapping her arms tight around the child, the young woman braced herself for a painful landing.

Or not. Instead of the stone road, her back was greeted by a strong arm, and another hooked onto the backside of her knees. Her head met a firm surface, but whatever it was, it definitely didn't go along the lines of rough, cold, and brain-rackingly painful. A voice snapped her out of her shock and reeled her back into reality. "'We'll be fine' my ass."

Maka blinked and saw large feathery wings behind the wizard, who thankfully managed to catch her. He bent down, lowering the woman onto solid ground. "Who's this kid?"

"She's Yuna; I babysat for her a few times." Yuna shifted at the sound of her name, standing on Maka's arms to peer over her shoulder. Widening at the sight before her, she tugged on the blonde's coat. "Miss Albarn, what is a prince doing here?"

"What prince?" she responded, turning around. No one was around except for Soul, who frowned at the eight-year old before him. Maka pointed at him and asked, "Yuna, you mean him?" The child nodded, and when the blonde gave Soul a second glance, she supposed he would look like a prince in the eyes of a little girl. The scythe huffed, muttering, "I'm a wizard and death scythe, not some girly excuse for a man…"

Maka giggled at his comment, and returned back to business. "Yuna, why were you out there, you know it's dangerous to come out." Kyra flew down beside her, growling her dissatisfaction. Maka plopped the child on top of the lion, she was heavier than she looked. Yuna looked down, and said, "Momma said that she forgot to water her plants, and told me to get ready to go to bed. So I did, and when I was walking to my room, I heard a scream outside. The door was still open, so I walked outside for a little bit. I saw my mom, so I asked her what happened, but…"

Soul, who had been turning his back towards them to avoid the child, stiffened. He wasn't good with children, but he knew damn well when they were about to cry their little hearts out. True enough, Yuna began to sob, and Kyra wrapped its wings around her in a way to comfort her. Maka patted her back, waiting for the water works to stop. The wizard grumbled, thinking that the wailing and crying wasn't going to end, which is why he usually stayed far away from toddlers. Contrary to what he thought though, she did eventually stop. The blonde stroked her hair, cautiously asking, "So what happened to her?"

"She grabbed my shoulders, and I thought she was going to tell me to go back inside. She didn't, and began to laugh. When she looked up, I saw her teeth change, and, and…" The librarian whispered light words of encouragement, and Yuna finished, "She tried to eat me."

Maka sympathetically hugged her, and turned around to Soul. "Do you think she can stay with us for now? She doesn't have a father or any relatives."

Soul groaned, but said, "I'm sure they won't mind. Pretty boy has a weakness for woman and children, so he won't kick her out." Maka smiled, and lifted Yuna. Walking to Soul, she said, "Take her back with you, I have some things to do." The white haired man whipped his head, staring at her like she grew an extra eye on her forehead. "You want me to _what?_" She sighed, and reached for his arm. Positioning it so that Yuna can sit on his arm, she placed the child onto it. The man before her still gave her the incredulous look, and she snapped, "If you don't bring her to a safe place like home, she might cry." He scowled, but did as she said. As he flew away, Maka turned to Kyra, motioning for her to come over. She mounted on her, and pointed to Jay Street. "We'll start over there."

As they walked, the woman looked around, searching for the familiar Mrs. Hanson. The smell of rotting flesh and corpses made her nauseous, but for Yuna's sake she had to find her. When they came around the corner, she saw a bunch of ghoul-looking creatures rummaging through trash cans. As they turned, she could see the hunger in their eyes, willing to do anything just to satisfy their thirst. They supposed lion meat was tasty, because they charged for the beast. Kyra was a prim and classy lion though, and she certainly didn't fancy dirty hands all over her fur. Growling, she roared at them, the force knocking them backwards. After making sure they wouldn't get back up, Kyra continued walking. Moving past them, Maka silently prayed for the bodies on the floor. Before whatever it was that had turned them into this, they were civilians, some were probably even her neighbors.

As they approached Yuna's home, she saw a familiar tall figure hunched over a pot of flowers. Yuna's mother was holding a watering can, roughly pouring water onto the ceramic pot. It would've both traumatized and worried Yuna if she saw her mother like this, who was usually extremely gentle. Quietly, she whispered, "Mrs. Hanson?"

At the sound, the woman turned around. Without hesitating, Mrs. Hanson charged at them, wanting to feast on anything fresh and alive. Kyra jumped back, unhappy with having to tolerate dirty hands. Maka held onto Kyra, yelling, "Secure her, we're going to bring her back alive!" The lion pounced onto the woman, effectively pinning her to the ground. Maka lurched forward, and in an attempt to steady herself, she placed her right hand on the wooden fence while bumping into the pot Mrs. Hanson was watering. The action tipped the pot off balance, causing it to fall and shatter on the cold ground. Kyra flapped her wings a bit, and Maka looked down. The blonde climbed off her back as the lion sat on top of the unconscious florist. Making sure that Yuna's mother was indeed unconscious, Maka walked over to the mess on the cobblestone street. She placed the morning glories on her palm, checking for the roots. The flowers left behind a sticky feeling on her hands, but flowers in general were sticky. _I'll hold onto this until Mrs. Hanson is cured. _She was about to leave until a dull light between the petals caught her attention. Lifting a petal to check it out, the blonde saw a dull blue sphere about the size of a marble flicker back and forth between a dull and light blue. As she stared at it, her eyelids began to grow heavier and heavier while she remembered the two verses from the book.

_To wake a beast from his long long slumber_

_A drop of dew, a pinch of morning_

Although it was probably a bad idea, Maka clutched onto the light sphere before she lost control of her legs. Buckling under her weight, she saw was Kyra running towards her while she held onto a blue little ball and a patch of flowers. Before closing her eyes, she felt the little ball quiver in her hand.

It had a _pulse_.

_-.-.-.-_

**Yes, I did change the summary and title. I hope this doesn't bother anyone. Anyways, until next time!**


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